Thomas shelton



(No Model.)

T. SHELTON. INLET FOR NATURAL GAS.

No. 366,035. PatehtedJuly 5,1887,

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

THOMAS SHEL'ION, OF MOKEESPORT, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE NATIONAL TUBE W'ORKS COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

INLET l 'OR NATURAL GAS.

. SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 366,035, dated July 5, 1887.

Application filed January 29, 1887. Serial No. 225,900.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS SHELTON, of McKeesport, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Inlets for Natural- Gas Mains; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to the means of feeding natural gas from the gaswell into the main line communicating with other gaswells, its object being to so feed the gas that it will not impede the flow of the gas from the other wells which have been previously connected to the main line.

Where a branch line leading from a well has been connected to a main gas-line leading from other wells it has'been the custom to connect the well by means of a pipe at right angles to the main or diagonal therewith in the direction .of the flow of the gas 5 and it has been practically proven that when the branch line communicated with the main line at right angles there was liability of the formation of d back-pressure in the branch line, especially if the pressure in the well so connected was not higher than that in the main gas-line, so that the flow of gas from the branch line into the main line was impeded, or, in case the pressure in the branch line was greater than that in the main line, the gas entering would act to impede the flow of the gas in the main line, as where the branch line communicated either at right angles or diagonally with the main line it was found that the gas from the branch line would be forced across the course of the gas in the main line, striking against the opposite wall, and so it would act to impede the how of the gas in the main line, so that either with the pipe communicating at right angles or diagonally with the main line the flow' of the gas in the main line was impeded, or the flow of the gas from the branch line to the main line was impeded.

The object of my invention is to overcome these difficulties in feeding the gas to the main line; and it consists, essentially, in feeding the gas from the branch line leading from the well to the main line by two pipes communicating diagonally in the direction of the flow with the (No model.)

main line at a certain point in the main line and opposite to each other, the pipe from the branch line being divi(led,so that the gas therefrom will enter through these two branch pipes, and the streams of gas from the branch pipes will intersect or impinge upon each other and the main current at the center of the main line and cause a suction within the main line, which will act to draw the gas therein instead of i mpeding its flow and causing back-pressure. To enable others skilled in the art to employ my invention, I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawings, in which- I Figure 1 is a plan View illustrating my invention, and Fig. 2 is a side view thereof.

Like letters of reference indicate like parts in each.

The main line a leads from the gaswell at the commencement of the line, and as it extends iii the vicinity of any other well which is to be connected with it the branch line b from that well leads to the main line, and by means ofa suitable coupling or joint, 0, having the two branch openings (1 extending out diagonally therefrom, I connect with the branch line Z) the branch pipes 0, thus dividing the branch line, and these pipes e comn1unicatewith the main line atf, the branch pipes ecommunicating with the mainline at the same point and opposite each other on each side of the main line, as at g, the branch pipes conr municating therewith diagonally or at an incline in the direction of the flow of the gas. In order to accomplish this, I general] y carry the branch line above the main line, as shown in Fig. 2, and, form the branch pipes e on a curve leading from the point 0 to the point f of the mainline where they communicate there with opposite each other, as above set forth.

In order to connect these branch pipes c with Y line, between the branch line and the well, to

cut off the flowin the main line, so that the v line beyond the branch line can be fed entirely bytthe branch line, either being cut off without affecting the flow from the other.

In employing my invention where the gas flows from the branch line 12 into the main line a the stream or current therefrom is divided at the point e and passes through both branch pipes e, and thence into the main line at the point f on each side of the main line, and the streams or currents from the branch pipes as they enter the main line will come in contact with or impinge upon each other at the center of the main current passing through the main line, and as they enter in the direction of the flow of the gas through the same they will, by impinging upon each other, act on the prineiple of a siphon to draw the gas through the main 1ine, so that the gas from the branch line is fed into the main line without in any manner impeding the flow of the gas through the main line, and the striking of the current of gas fromthe branch line across the main lineand against the oppositewall of the main, and

"I am aware that couplings have been used which have branch pi pes,so that'severalstreams leading from different sources may be united into one, and I do not therefore claim this broadly; but by dividing the stream of gas from the branch line before it passes to the main line, as hereinbefore set forth, the loss of pressure due to friction and eddies is materially reduced, as the streams of gas enter on opposite sides of the main stream and impinge on each other in such manner as to assist instead of impeding the How of gas through the main line.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to obtain by Letters Patent, is

1. The method herein described of leading gas from a branch line to a main line, consisting in dividing the stream from the branch line and feeding the two streams to the main at a point therein opposite each other and in the direction of'the flow of the gas, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the main gas-line,

of a branch line having the branch pipes 6, leading from the joint 0 and communicating with the main line opposite each other, andin the direction of the flow of the gas, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I,-the said THOMAS SHELTON, have hereunto set my hand,

, THOS. SHELTON.

Witnesses:

JAMES. I. KAY, J. N. CooKE. 

